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Encryption Discussion

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Encryption refers to changing plain text data into ciphered data through an encryption algorithm, which consists of a set of mathematical procedures. A message is encoded particularly to make it unreadable or understood by an eavesdropper. There are two main types of encryption, that is, symmetrical and asymmetrical encryption. Discussing the important aspects of symmetric encryption involves only one secret key used for cipher and deciphers purposes. Symmetrical encryption is considered the old but best technique blended with the plain text to change the content in a specific manner. The key used for symmetric encryption is a secret key and is often used to encrypt and decrypt electronic information (Gibson, 2014). It is worth noting that the devices or individuals sharing information via symmetric encryption should also exchange the secret key because it has to decipher the encoded message.

Symmetric encryption is different from asymmetric encryption in that the latter uses a pair of keys. The two keys are typically the public and the private key and are used for encryption and decryption purposes. When utilizing the symmetric encryption algorithms, the plaintext is encoded to a form that cannot be understood by an individual who does not pose a key to decrypt the information. After the intended recipient gets hold of the information, the algorithm reverses its action to ensure that the message is returned to its original and understandable form (Smirnoff & Turner, 2019). It is worth noting that the secret key used in this scenario could either be a specific code, password, or even a random string of numbers and letters often generated by a secure random number generator. When symmetric encryption is used in banking-grade encryption, all the secret keys should be generated using the random number generator because it is certified based on the industry standards.

The two main types of symmetric encryption algorithms include the block and stream algorithms. In block algorithms, specified lengths of data are encrypted in electronic data blocks using one secret key, which is then held by the system in its memory. On the other hand, stream algorithms consider encrypting data as a stream and not retained in the system's memory. The various symmetric encryption algorithms include the Advanced Encryption Standard, Data Encryption Standard, International Data Encryption Algorithm, Blowfish, RC4, RC5, and RC6. Being an older encryption method, it is often faster and more efficient than the alternative asymmetric encryption (Yedakula, 2019). This encryption is attributed to better performance and faster speed, hence necessary for bulk encryption for such as database encryption. Symmetric encryption is mostly used in payment applications, for instance, card transactions requiring PII for protection of identity theft and fraudulent charges.

References

Gibson, D. (2014). Managing risk in information systems. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Smirnoff, P., & Turner, D. M. (2019, January 18). Symmetric key encryption - why, where and how it’s used in banking. Retrieved from https://www.cryptomathic.com/news-events/blog/symmetric-key-encryption-why-where-and-how-its-used-in-banking

Yedakula, K. (2019, November 30). Exploring the differences between symmetric and asymmetric encryption | Cyware hacker news. Retrieved from https://cyware.com/news/exploring-the-differences-between-symmetric-and-asymmetric-encryption-8de86e8a